Dear Constituent,
I am pleased that Scotland has been officially TB free since 2009 and our wildlife, including badgers, is not considered to be a high risk in terms of spreading bovine TB to cattle herds.
Having “Officially Tuberculosis Free Status” does not mean Scotland is completely clear of bovine TB. This status is instead achieved by demonstrating compliance with requirements set out by the EU. A small number of bovine TB cases still occur each year and I would expect the Scottish Government to monitor these cases closely and take further action if necessary.
In England, a review of the Bovine TB Strategy was published at the end of 2018. This review reflected on the badger cull has led to a significant reduction in the disease, but no one wants to continue the cull of this protected species indefinitely. That is why the Government asked Sir Charles Godfray to conduct a review, which concluded in October 2018. Earlier this year, in response to that review, the Government set out its intended next steps, focussed around three key priorities.
The current BCG vaccine will never provide full protection, so I am pleased that funding will be made available to accelerate the research and trial work needed with the aim of having a deployable vaccine in the next five years. Alongside this, an exit strategy from the intensive culling of badgers will begin. As soon as possible, a pilot Government-funded badger vaccination will be introduced in at least one area where the four-year cull cycle has concluded, with simultaneous surveillance of disease. The aim is only to allow future culls where the evidence points to a significant reservoir of Bovine TB in badgers.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Kind regards, Alister